


Last Song

by Deity_Emi



Category: Macross Delta
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Drama & Romance, F/M, Original Character(s), Original Fiction, Sad Ending, Song Lyrics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-19
Updated: 2017-07-19
Packaged: 2018-12-04 03:44:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11546805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Deity_Emi/pseuds/Deity_Emi
Summary: The Aerial Knights are now prepared to sort out for their final battle against the Delta Squadron, believing that they can finally end it all. Yet the White Knight, Keith - he was worried and bothered. He had sworn to protect the Princess, but at what cost? The voice of his Princess rings along the horizon...==OC x Keith Aero Windermere for Macross Delta tribute.I had another Delta fic stuck here, maybe I'll post it sometime XDI guess I love him too much just for this. w





	Last Song

The time of war was finally upon them, and it was only a matter of time before Keith Aero Windermere and his team of Aerial Knights launches into the battle, to fight against those who opposed them – the people of Ragna and their protectors, the Delta Squadron.

The Knights were excited and riled up, especially Bogue, who wanted to nonetheless spar with the pilot who almost killed him in one of their past skirmishes. He wanted nothing but revenge, and his hatred for the idol unit Walkure was also a spice to that bitterness.

Herman and the twins were on the sidelines, very quiet and observant. The former though, was focusing his attention on the White Knight, who stood blinking at his customized Valkyrie, as if he was having a bit of confusion on his mind.

He approached the young man, arms folded. “Keith, is something bothering you?”

“Not at the very least, I just want this war to end…everything that was done was for this to happen. If we let it to waste…” Keith’s voice trailed off, a hint of grumpiness at the end.

“No need to be too pressured on the battle…you always fought with the wind, Keith. You can always…trust the wind. It will be with you.” Herman blinks, still curious.

Keith turns away from his Valkyrie, hiding his expression. “It’s…not the wind. It’s something else, I’ve been thinking about it for quite a while now, and I don’t know exactly how to protect it.” It wasn’t noticeable, but he was shaking lightly.

“Is it Heinz-sama? Or is it…Rinne-hime?” Herman blurts out the last name with utter carefulness.

“Who do you think it is…?”

The blonde man replied before walking away, his rune glowing a very light blue. Bogue and the others watched their White Knight walk away in silence, and seeing his rune gave them a somehow eerie but worrisome vibe.

“I hope Shirokishi-sama is okay,” the redhead Knight whispered softly.

Indeed, this was war. After so many years of being unable to get what they wanted and was constantly shunned by the government, Windermere had finally taken steps to invade every colony and with Heinz’s singing, they were able to get them under control in a matter of time, even with Delta Squadron trying to stop them.

Gramia’s life is nearing its end and they have to make the most of the battle. Heinz on the other hand has devoted himself to sing until his life also drains from him. Everyone was really risking their lives for that moment.

But what about Princess Rinne? She was also the Aerial Knights’ additional boost, but especially with Keith. Every time the Princess sang, Keith’s rune resonates with her graceful wind, and it was always the reason why he had won every single duel that he had with the enemy.

She was his one and only beloved wind.

If she sang to support all of the Knights in the war, would that take a toll on her life just like Heinz’s? Keith wondered about that as he walked back inside the castle. Rinne would most certainly sing even if Gramia or Lloyd tells her not to, because she needed to do it.

It was one of her ways to show how much she loved Keith, even if he was far away and fighting.

The White Knight finally managed to reach Heinz’s chambers, with Rinne standing beside the young prince, conversing with him probably about his father and his condition.

“Princess Rinne, it is always a pleasure to know that you will be helping the Knights…I’m sure, if my father hears this, he would be overjoyed. Our families have been assisting each other in times like this,” Heinz spoke, his voice very stern. This was Heinz now, serious and unwavering. He had to also sing to protect his older brother as he did to him, and he and Rinne had the same goals.

“Glory to the wind, Your Highness. I will always be of assistance, with or without your permission,” Rinne salutes, bowing her head. Moments later her rune glowed and she turned to Keith, who just stood there. Heinz also turned to him.

The blonde man’s blue runes continued to glow. “Princess Rinne…”

“Yes, Keith?” She blinked.

“Are you really…going to fight?” His brows slowly furrowed at her, trying to hide his shaking.

“If there is no other choice, I will have to sing everything, for Windermere, and for the Aerial Knights. Just like what Heinz-sama will be doing,” Rinne answered back in the same manner.

Then his expression changed to that of utmost worry, his sapphire eyes shivering at her. Rinne instantly saw this, and he had walked off again. She called out to him but he wouldn’t stop, and she decided to chase after him.

“Heinz-sama, please excuse me,” She said with a final bow, left the chambers and closed the door behind her. Heinz looked only in surprise, before his eyes shifted to a deep sadness.

Keith continued to silently walk down the castle hallways, his head hung low, and with the almost bursting to tears Princess catching up to him. “Just..just wait a moment, please, Keith! I…I need to talk to you…!”

“…”

“Keith!!”

Rinne lifted a bit of her long skirt and ran after him, grabbing his arm. “Are you worried that something might happen to me if I sing…?”

He gently held her hand with his other one, then held them with both of his hands after pulling it away from his arm. “I just…don’t want any more people to die. I’ve seen countless deaths in the past, Princess.  My friends, my comrades whom I befriended, they all perished. And I won’t let that happen to you.”

“But if I don’t sing…will you be able to win?” Rinne tried her best not to cry but tears were forming on her delicate eyes now.

“I believe in the wind…and I will believe in you, too. That’s why…I will win,” He replied. “I will win, so I…can come back into your arms. And when that time comes…you can sing to me all you want.”

Rinne was at a loss for words, those tears now rolling down her face. The White Knight softly squeezed her hand, and then raised his own to wipe the tears away. “Promise me you’ll really come back. You always came back, so…promise me again!” She retorted back at him, still trembling.

“I always promise, Princess.”

Keith pulled the young woman into a hug, his warmth comforting her now more than ever. Their runes glowed brilliantly, and as they touched he felt a swarm of emotions from her – from belief, to worry, to her own undying love for him. Rinne hid her flustered face on his chest and snuggled more. He wasn’t surprised at the surge of emotions as he had always read her emotions, and through her runes he knew her feelings.

Their moment was cut short as the alarm had sounded off all over the protoculture battleship. It signaled their arrival at Ragna at last, and it was time to sortie for the Aerial Knights.  “I…have to go, Princess. I…I will see you later,” Keith whispered, before gently pulling her away.

She was only silent as he did so, but her eyes widened as he leaned over and gently brushed his lips on hers.

“I will stay true to my promise, Rinne..for you, I will live.”

Seconds passed and Keith was now rushing to the hangar, changing to his pilot suit while on the way. Rinne had burst into more silent tears after what he did, knowing that he could not convince him otherwise. But, there was no way she only stood there doing nothing – she had to sing. Even if he will not allow it, she will sing.

Wiping whatever tears that remained on her eyes, Rinne turns around, her face burned with determination.

“I’m sorry, Keith. I will…do it. The wind…has spoken.”

Everything went on at once – Valkyries launching everywhere, from both the enemy and their side. The Aerial Knights have also sortied and are on the frontlines protecting the battleship, while the Delta Squadron have started to launch as well, alongside their entire fleet. The people on Ragna have been evacuated at the same time, and their enclosed colony prepares to depart.

Hayate Immelmann of Delta 05 was more than determined to take down Keith, whatever the cost, due to Messer’s death. They dueled in the wind as they met in the skies, with the former’s anger rising up while Keith was merely enjoying the sight of the frustrated young pilot.

Meanwhile, Rinne was on a different room than Heinz – Lloyd told her that if she wanted to sing and she wanted Keith to hear her, she would stay on that one spot and sing. After all, his runes react the greatest when she sings, and that alone is very helpful.

To not let her sing…what was Keith’s motive?

Now was not the time for questions.

As the White Knight started his fight with the enemy Valkyrie, Rinne breathed in deeply-

 

_今見だ笑顔が最後の笑顔がもしれない_

_Ima mi da egao ga saigo no egao ga mo shirenai_

_(I saw your smile before you went and I knew that might be the last I would see)_

 

_例えば別の人と会話をする横顔も尊い一秒_

_Tatoeba betsu no hito to kaiwa mo suru yokogao mo tottoi ichibyou_

_(Even when it wasn’t with me when you talked I always would watch your eyes  
and every second was precious)_

 

_羽目よりも命が軽くなる世界で_

_Hameyori mo inochi ga karukunaru sekai de_

_(In this world where a life can be lighter than a feather)_

 

_君は私の切る意味だから出逢えった_

_Kimi wa watashi no ikiru imi dakara deaetta_

_(You were everything to me; you were the reason I was born: to meet you)_

 

Keith almost froze in his tracks, his rune shining. “That voice…!” He grumbled, and sped away as fast as he could, with Hayate being unable to catch up to the amazingly fast wind. The blonde Knight hurriedly made his way back to the battleship, defenseless, but he shot down all the Valkyries chasing after him in frustration.

The song was sung in such a harmonic voice, even if it was only a voice, no music and no sound. Rinne had that natural talent of making the person she desires to hear the song become one with the wind, such as Keith who flew around with his Valkyrie in immense speeds. She continued to sing, unaware that the man was on his way to find the area where she was singing-

 

_刹那さはこの胸のAXIA_ _片道だけの微熱でかけ空_

_Setsuna sa wa kono mune no akushia katamichi dake no binetsu de kakeru sora_

_(The pain I carry fills my heart with its axia, as you soar up in a heat into a sky with no way back)_

 

_すぐ消える無慈悲な虹になる_ _所以の君がダイスキでダイキライ_

_Sugu kieru mujihina niji ni naru yuen no kimi ga daisuki de daikirai_

_(Leaving behind a merciless rainbow and vanishing: as you travel further from me I love you as much as I hate you)_

 

Her voice rang on the clear skies, and even Bogue and the other Knights were able to hear her, enhancing their abilities to become one with the wind. Keith was such a very special case, that he could hear her sing as if she was with him inside the Valkyrie, as if she was riding the skies with him.

“Rinne!!” He called out angrily, his rune still endlessly shining. “Stop…singing…I don’t want you to waste your energy…” He demanded even more, his grasp at his controls tightening.

But she didn’t listen. The Princess continued to sing – and this time she was accompanied by Heinz, who sang in tune to her song, at the same time singing to control the Var to help them in the battle. Keith got even more worried now, but he wasn’t going to lose his cool. The Delta 05 has managed to reach him after stalling for some time, and he was distracted again.

The Knight’s thoughts ran through the Princess’s runes.

“Do you know why I didn’t want you to sing in this battle…?”

“Because I don’t want to see you suffer.”

“I’ve seen enough from Heinz…and now, not you too. I’m sure…you already know what I mean.”

“Your singing…is much more powerful than the Prince… Don’t you know how much it can cost you?”

“If your life suddenly fades away…”

“Just because you sang…”

“I will never forgive myself for allowing you to sing.”

“So please, Rinne…!”

Even with these thoughts, the Princess went on. She knew that if she sang, even if she sang her entire life away, she was doing this for him. She was singing to protect him, to help him win. He would surely die if she didn’t sing. Heinz was also clearly against it but didn’t voice out his disagreement with her idea. Maybe this was…the love that the Princess had longed for?

Lloyd was already calling out to her to stop as the two fighters are going out of control, with Keith barely avoiding the enemy Valkyrie. But she couldn’t find the way to stop. Even if she stopped, would they stop too?

_時の船に乗って_ _眠る日がきでも_ _だった一人思う光芒ずっと絶やさない_

_Toki no fune ni notte nemuru hi ga kite mo datta hitori omou hikari zutto tayasanai_

_(Even if, on the river of time here comes the day when I must slumber, all of my thoughts to you will glow strong and true always, burning bright)_

 

_もう君を思い出したりしない_ _だって一度も忘れることないから_

_Mou kimi wo omoi dashitari shinai datte ichido mo wasureru koto nai kara_

_(Already I’ve stopped remembering times I spent with you, but that’s only because I think of them too much to need to)_

 

_刹那さはこの胸のAXIA_ _片道だけの微熱でかけ空_

_Setsuna sa wa kono mune no akushia katamichi dake no binetsu de kakeru sora_

_(The pain I carry fills my heart with its axia, as you soar up in a heat into a sky with no way back)_

 

_私から愛を盗む君が_

_Watashi kara ai wo nusumu kimi ga_

_(You came like a thief stealing my heart and escaping)_

 

_絶望すぐくらい報われなくても_

_Zetsubou sugu kurai mukuware nakute mo_

_(As payback I would give you hell but I think I can let it go)_

 

_遥か遠くても_ _ダイスキでダイキライ_

_Haruka tookute mo daisuki de daikirai_

_(Far into the distance though you go, I love you as much as I hate you)_

 

A crash came up as she finished her singing, and it turned out that the Draken that Keith was on accidentally hit Hayate Immelmann’s, and due to that close proximity he was able to shoot the White Knight’s valkyrie’s right area, almost damaging the cockpit if not Keith had worn his helmet back on. The Draken came tumbling down the ground, and another loud crash was heard.

Lloyd and Heinz were at utter horror as they both called out Keith’s name. Heinz’s Var singing was also interrupted and the other Knights, witnessing what just happened came chasing the enemy while the rest tried to catch the falling Draken. Rinne was also in shock, but her shock was far more different than the two of them. Her eyes had suddenly lost its life, and they were turned into dull irises.

Windermerean soldiers hurriedly rushed to the crash site, and Lloyd puts up the screen – the Draken was in ruins, black smoke was going off the cockpit, and Keith was there – but he was barely conscious. He was breathing, but…barely. Blood was all over his face rolling down from his forehead, and his helmet broken.

Rinne felt her heart sink into the deepest depths of coldness as she cried out to him.

The time that passed after that was very fast. The Princess was dragged along by her confused emotions, watching in the background as they lifted the White Knight into the infirmary inside the ship. She followed along, with Lloyd and Heinz behind her. The Prince was not trying to give in to what he just saw, but deep inside him he was agonizing for not being able to save his older brother in time.

Princess Rinne did not know whether she would scream or cry. She did not know whether she should be angry or sad. Everything was all at once. He was just there in the battle, alive, and she sang to him. Was it really because of her that Keith had come to this? It wasn’t supposed to be like that, right? She sang to save him. It did, but it almost had him killed.

When the doctors have finished settling him down and putting the equipment, Keith opened his eyes weakly, searching the room, searching for her. He found her eventually as she stood there beside him, their eyes meeting.

Keith let out a small, soft smile.

“Rinne…”

Even in the end, he still only wanted to be with her. The sound of her name coming out of his lips was, for him, the most amazing thing. He wanted to say her name over and over again, endlessly. At that moment, it was the only name he wanted to call out.

“You idiot…! Why….why did you…! I won’t ask you to blame me but…but…you let yourself be shot…!” The Princess had become a complete mess of tears, seeing her cry like that was more than enough to break more of his already broken heart. “I was going to stop singing, but you…you were shot…and I…!”

“I know,” He responded dryly, still smiling. “I know that.”

“But you didn’t escape!”

“I couldn’t escape. After all, I killed their comrade before. Maybe this…this is the right payback,” His response included a dry chuckle, and Rinne could only cry more.

“Pay..back…?” She asked.

“You see, Rinne…even as a White Knight, I will never be perfect. I always thought of myself to be the perfect Knight, but I can never be that when I don’t know what I have done. I didn’t…I didn’t want to kill. But it hit the enemy, and I had no choice. You know that, don’t you?”

He still looked at her, with that same smile. Rinne hurriedly grasped his cold, weak hand.

 

_愛しい君よ今どこにいるの_ _色も意味もなくした世界_

_Itoshii kimi yo ima doko ni iru no iro mo imi mo nakushita sekai_

_(Oh my love, answer me, tell me where I can find you? With you gone, all the world has no colour to my heart)_

 

_高く遠く飛べるはずなのに_ _見えない空に翼ちぎれる_

_Takaku tooku toberu hazu na no ni mienai sora ni tsubasa chigireru_

_(Though I try soaring high, looking for the heights you’ve flown through in the sky unseen, my wings are torn apart)_

 

_夢は君が一人描くんじゃなく_ _見えない風が届けてくれる_

_Yume wa kimi ga hitori egakun jyanaku mienai kaze ga todokoete kureru_

_(You don’t have to walk the road to your dreams alone, for the wind unseen will lift you in its flow)_

 

_高く遠く飛べる気がしたら_ _つなぐこの手離さずにいて_

_Takaku tooku toberu ki ga shittara tsunagu kono te hanasazu ni ite_

_(When you rise, soaring high, flying farther than you’ve ever flown, hold on tight to my hand and never let it go)_

 

Rinne’s voice disappeared at the last word, as she couldn’t control her own sobbing. The hand that held her beloved’s own never let go, as she always did with his heart, she was forever holding it close to her own.

Was he going to disappear?

Just like…just like Messer…that one man whom she also treasured.

But she accepted his death. This time she will never forgive herself if Keith vanishes, too.

Seeing the sorrow in his dear princess’s eyes, Keith spoke.

“Princess, your voice…is beautiful. Your song is lovely,” Those words were now whispers as he struggled to keep himself awake, at the expense of greater pain he probably was trying not to show to any of them. Lloyd remained silent in his foggy glasses and Heinz looked very guilty. “I guess…I can never stop you from singing to your heart’s content,” He added.

“Always sing for me…just like in the past. The two of us…”

Rinne jolted and looked at Keith, he finally lost his consciousness and fell into a deep sleep. He wasn’t dead, but…his hands were extremely cold. He was faintly breathing, supported by an oxygen mask that covered half his face. His entire body was cold, and his rune was quite dark. He was comatose.

There was a last faint message that he sent her through his rune as she cried on his cold hand.

“Sing for me and only for me, my beloved Princess.”


End file.
